The Finish Line
by Kristen3
Summary: Daphne is excited about being in her first 5K "Color Run," but finds that running is harder than she thought. Luckily, thinking of the man waiting for her at the end gives her the strength to finish the race. One-shot.


**Author's Note: **Many thanks to Leigh Ann (**leighann415**) for giving me permission to do this. After all, it was her unfinished story, "Run for Love" which partially inspired this. Once I saw a magazine article about a Color Run, I could picture Daphne and David being in one. From that, came this story. Hope people like it! :)

Daphne grinned over at Roz, feeling a sense of excitement. Baby David was strapped to her chest in an infant carrier. He seemed to be very curious at the moment, looking around at all the people. He had no idea his mother and Aunt Roz were about to embark on their first ever Color Run.

It was hard to believe this had all come together so fast. It was only a few days ago that Roz heard about the run through KACL. It was like any other 5K run, except that, in this race, runners would be sprayed with different colored powder at each kilometer. Runners would wear white clothing, and by the end, everyone would look like a rainbow. Daphne couldn't resist placing a kiss on the top of her son's soft head. Already she could tell that he took after his father. He would be handsome one day, she just knew it. Daphne still wasn't sure what had made her want to do this. Roz had been enthusiastic from the start, largely because she knew she would probably be able to meet men. It had sounded like fun, and Daphne knew she hadn't quite lost all her baby weight yet.

Suddenly, the starter's gun went off. People began moving, and Daphne had no choice but to follow the crowd. Just moments ago, Roz had been standing right beside her, but she'd apparently fallen behind. No doubt she was too busy collecting phone numbers. As she started to move, Daphne began to actually enjoy this. It reminded her a bit of her childhood. Her brothers were always off doing something, usually getting themselves hurt in the process. But Daphne, being the only girl, was excluded. It felt good to finally have the freedom to do something like this.

Of course, Daphne knew perfectly well why she had that freedom. It was all because of Niles. He wasn't interested in this race at all when he heard about it. Running was simply not something the Crane boys did. It had taken a bit of convincing for Daphne to make her husband understand how much this meant to her. But once he did begin to see, he was extremely supportive. He willingly babysat both David and Alice so that Roz and Daphne could do a few practice runs. When Daphne complained that maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Niles was right there to encourage her. Halfway through her first kilometer, Daphne began to feel the toll that running was taking. Up ahead, she could see the marker, where people were already being doused with red powder. It seemed to be miles away, and Daphne feared she'd never make it.

Just when she started to seriously consider giving up, she glanced down in front of her. Right there was her living miracle, David. The sight of him gave her a second wind. "Thank you," she whispered, placing another kiss on the top of his head.

"Your baby's adorable." The words came from a woman who was jogging alongside Daphne.

"He takes after his dad," Daphne replied. She couldn't help blushing, though she heard comments like this often.

"Oh, is he in the race too?"

Daphne shook her head, laughing. "Me husband's idea of sports is a game of chess, or possibly squash. He's at the finish line, waiting for me."

"Not a lot of husbands would do that. He must love you an awful lot."

Now Daphne smiled. "Yes, he does. We're very lucky."

The conversation had distracted Daphne to the point that she hadn't noticed she had reached the end of the first kilometer. The next thing she knew, she was hit with red powder. David looked around in confusion, having no idea what was going on now.

Daphne kept going, but it was definitely getting harder. All around her, people continued on, as if this were nothing. How could they do it? But once again, she thought of Niles. He'd always believed in her. Back when they first met, she constantly felt awkward and self-conscious around her new employer. Only Niles had been able to put her at ease. They became friends very quickly.

While Daphne went about her life, still looking for her happy ending, she had no idea that Niles Crane was in love with her. Looking back on those memories now, Daphne felt a familiar sense of guilt. Knowing what she knew now, she would certainly do things differently. But she took a deep breath, remembering the baby strapped to her chest. He was living proof that things had turned out exactly as they should have. As she thought about all things Niles had given her, Daphne found a new strength. Her muscles still ached. She was still tired and ready to quit. But somehow, she was able to overcome those feelings and persevere.

In fact, the more she thought of Niles, the more she wanted to see him. This led her to increase her pace. She made it to the second and third kilometer marks. More colorful powder hit her. David was clearly uncomfortable. He cried, but Daphne didn't really notice. She was too focused on her goal at the moment. Only two more to go. She pictured Niles standing there at the finish line, little Alice there beside him.

Soon, she was crossing the fourth marker. The mental image of Niles waiting for her grew stronger. Like a magnet, she was being pulled toward the finish line. Looking down at David, she whispered, "Let's go see Daddy." Apparently, the baby had understood somehow, because he giggled.

David's laugh made Daphne smile. She even forgot for a moment how tired she was. She could just make out the finish line now, and the crowd of people just behind it. Somewhere in there, she knew, was Niles. No matter what, she couldn't quit now. All around her, other runners were breathing hard, wiping sweat and powder from their foreheads. Daphne knew she probably looked no better. But she didn't care.

With every step, the finish line got closer. Soon, she could clearly make out faces in the crowd. People cheered on the runners as they finished. Niles was there, looking astonished to see his wife so close to the end. Daphne finally crossed the finish line, but she didn't stop. She kept going, until she was in Niles' arms.

Niles wasted no time in kissing his wife. He didn't even care about the sweat or powder she was covered in. "How did you get here so fast?" He asked the question when he finally came up for air.

"Well, as I ran, I kept thinking of us. How much I love you, and how you believed in me from the very beginning. The more I thought about that, the more I could push meself. I couldn't wait to see you." Once again, they kissed. For a moment, neither was aware of the crowd around them.

"Hi, Aunt Daphne. Where's my mom?" Alice's small voice broke the moment.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't know. Your mum was with me when the race started, but then I lost her. I'm sure she's back there somewhere." Daphne glanced uncertainly at the crowd. She didn't want to tell Alice that there was a possibility Roz had run off with an eligible man.

Niles understood why his wife was concerned. "Well, if your mom doesn't get here soon, you're welcome to come home with us. You could play with David."

Alice's disappointment was completely erased by the mention of playing with the baby. "OK!"

Looking at Alice's excitement, Daphne couldn't help feeling happy herself. Sure, she needed a shower and probably a nap. But underneath that exhaustion was a sense of contentment she couldn't explain. Somehow, this run had shown her something important: her life could never have worked out more perfectly than this. She had a loving husband and a wonderful family. What more could a person want?

**The End**


End file.
